


Ethereal

by Pumperkins



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Death, Fluff and Angst, Harry Potter & Ron Weasley Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Past Character Death, Ron Weasley is a Good Friend, Ron Weasley-centric, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:02:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26828572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pumperkins/pseuds/Pumperkins
Summary: Ron Weasleys been having weird dreams, seeing his dead uncles and unknown ghosts is making 5th year harder than expected. Nevermind the looming threat of Voldemort he isn't  so sure how to deal with it. However when a mysterious figure appears in his dreams he's sure all his problems can be solved. He just has to keep it a secret from everybody else
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ron Weasley
Comments: 8
Kudos: 72





	1. Chapter 1

The lady with red hair was always so nice, she always had him soft kisses in his hair, caressing his face and smiling down. She was a light in the dark place, kind eyes making him feel warm and safe. She started showing up when he got to Hogwarts, a nice gift from the butchered faces of his uncle Bilus or the hollow eyes of Gideon and Fabion. She never talked to him, not like the others, she silently cared for him, keeping the horrid screams of the passed away from him. 

Ron shook awake, hearing the shrill laughter of first years in the common room. Sun glazed through the open glass window, autumn breeze chilling his exposed skin. Eyes open he noticed he was the only one left in the dorms, the late sunday morning air usually filled with loud snoring and ruffled blankets was now quiet, an unfamiliar sound found in a boys dormitory. Sitting up Ron rubbed at his eyes, a large yawn escaping his mouth, he's been having those nightmares more often ever since Voldemort came back and returning to Hogwarts had made them even worse. He had thought coming back to the school and not being crowded in the depressing house he called a home for the summer would help but dreams of monsters and the undead plagued his sleep. 

"Ron? Are you up yet?" He heard a knocking at the door followed by Harry's quiet entry. He was dressed for the day, hand resting in his pocket before pulling out a crumpled napkin. "You seemed tired so I didn't want to wake you, but I did bring you some fruit." Harry handed him the sticky napkin, grapes and an orange and fell out making a mess in his lap. 

"Er, thanks Harry but I think I'll go down for breakfast" He gave his friend a half smile, getting up to change.

"Ya about that, Umbridge has the school on lockdown, no ones allowed out of the dorms." Harry threw him a shirt, sitting out his bed. Running into the bathroom room quickly changed, knowing his other dorm mates would be stomping up the stairs quickly. It's only been 2 weeks into the first semester yet this is the 3rd time Umbridge had put the school on lockdown, from what little information they were able to press from the order the ministry had put a "magic meter" or so they call it on the school. Basically measuring the amount of strength magic was producing. This tool was supposed to be used to make sure children were learning to control their magic however he speculated the ministry wanted to keep tabs on some of the more powerful wizards who went to the school.

"Ahhh on my only day off I'm stuck here!" Dean exclaimed, walking into the room. 

"Sounds like your own fault for getting detention last week" Seamus shot back, throwing his cloak at Dean. "Ayy look who finally got up." Seamus sarcastically said, pulling Dean to the side of the room before pulling out a muggle board game. They were still skeptical about Harry's beliefs that Voldemort was back and being stuck in the dorm with them was hellish. They would be loud, sending rude taunts and glares their way. Thankfully Harry never seemed bothered by it however as his gnawing hunger grew and Seamus's loud voice filled the once peaceful room he wasn't sure how much more he could take. 

"Damn when will this lockdown end?" Ron spoke loudly, stomach grumbling. He really wished Harry had woken him up from his strange dreams but his friend was far too kind for that. 

"Maybe it's Voldemort?" Seamus mocked him loudly from behind his bed curtains. He heard the faint laughter of Dean while watching Neville Neville uncomfortably shift from behind his biology textbook. Harry rolled his eyes, a faint frown on his face but ultimately unbothered, after all he's been dealing with this taunting for the last two weeks and stopped caring, mostly. However he felt his face grow red with rage, if missing breakfast wasn't enough to put him in a bad book Seamus terrible insults to Harry sure would. 

"Seamus shut the fuck up" he swung his head around, abandoning the quittage magazine him and Harry where preoccupied with. 

"Excuse me? I'm not the one saying nonsense like Voldemort is back" Seamus retorted. 

"Don't- don't say that" he visibly flinched at the name, a sour taste invading his mouth. 

"What Voldemort? You don't like that? Well Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort" Seamus went on, voice getting louder with each word. Feeling faint Ron put a hand to his head, face red and eyebrows scrunched together. Seeing his obvious distress Harry put a hand on his leg, making his cheeks flush even darker with embarrassment.

"Look layoff will you? Umbridge has us stuck in here together for nobody knows how long and nobody wants to listen to you two go at it." Harry sent him sympathetic glare, eyes mostly focused on Seamus. Said boy just huffed, hunching over and quietly muttering to Dean. 

Harry nudged at him, pulling him closer so they were nearly chest to chest, he could smell the terrible shampoo his mom gave them, worried that the twins would tamper with theirs, again. His breathing sped up, eyes dancing around his friends face, previous arguments nearly forgotten. 

"Look mate, you need to stop getting in fights with people, you're going to get in trouble." His hand felt warm on his thigh, comforting him in an odd way. "Besides I don't need you defending me" Harry finished, crossing his arms. 

"But Harry! He's being ridiculous, going around saying you-know-who is back!" Ron defended himself, knowing he couldn't convince Harry but compelled him to tell him. 

"Don't call him that-" Harry started,

"But it makes me uncomfortable" Ron spoke in a small voice, head bowed down. Rolling his eyes Harry spoke irritably,

"It's a name, you can't be afraid to say Voldemort."

Ron threw up.


	2. Chapter 2

Someone was rubbing his stomach, their warm hands ruffling around his t-shirts thin fabric. Grunting he arched his back, moving his hands to rub at his eyes. 

"Hey Ron" a soft voice spoke, removing the hand from his stomach and putting it on his forehead. "How you feeling" Harry asked, he was sitting next to him, bed curtains drawn in and a blanket shoved over his feet. 

Trying to sit up Ron felt dizzy, his vision blurred, spotty black shadows roaming around for a long second. Once he was able to clearly see Harry's face was shoved into his line of view, a toothy grin glowing on his face. 

"Mmmmm I think I'm fine?" Ron questioned more than answered. "Can we leave now" now that he was more aware of his surroundings he could feel the gnawing hunger from having missed breakfast. Harry's face softened adjusting himself so they were sitting arm to arm. 

"Not yet, still locked up in here. McGonagall said it could be a few more hours about 20 minutes ago" Harry said. Ron looked down, moving uncomfortably when he realized how close Harry was to him. Reaching down he grabbed his blanket, pulling it over to the both of them before falling back down onto his pillow, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. 

"There never letting us out of here are they?" He sighed, throwing his hands up before they fell down to his side. 

"Stop being over dramatic" Harry laughed, lightly smacking Ron on the top of his head before getting off the bed. "Do you want to play a game of chess?"

"Yes." Ron spoke quickly, excited to play his favorite game. For the next few hours Harry and Ron played, wrapped up in the thick gryffindor comforter. They could hear the chatter of their dorm mates in the common room, having quickly left as Ron spewed the contents of his stomach all over the floor. 

Minutes turned into hours and Ron and Harry went in and out if they focused on their game. Talking about quittage and classes ignoring the growing boredom as they waited to be set free. Hermione came up at one point, checking on Ron before scolding them about homework, before running back to her dorm, talking about getting a start on today's missed lessons. 

"Are you sure you're warm enough" Harry poked at him as he pulled the last blanket off Harry's bed. He was already swaddled in his jumper, his comforter and knitted blanket Molly made him wrapped around his shoulders. He has draped Harrys comfertanor across their laps, placing the chess board on it before he grabs Harry's last blanket, Sirius old gryffindor wool blanket he tucks himself into. James's Mother made for Sirius, the man giving it to Harry before he left for Hogwarts. He kept it on the side of his bed, unsure of what he should do with it. 

"I'm tired, that's all," Ron yawned, wrapping the blankets tighter around him. Harry gave a small laugh, putting the chess pieces away before throwing the blanket off his lap, putting it in Rons bed. 

"As if you haven't slept enough" He joked pausing as Ron rubbed his eyes. "I'm going to go see what Hermiones been on about," Harry waved out the door, casting a spell to close the curtains, dimming the sunlight.

Ron was left on the floor, pounds of blankets covering him before he squeezed out, throwing the heap of warmth onto his bed and jumping underneath them, hoping to have no strange dreams. 

But hoping was all it was as he was surrounded by the familiar dark, a chill running through his body. He could hear far away cries, lonely moans echoing throughout the darkness. He tried looking around for the lady with red hair, since he got to Hogwarts and has been arlynd most of the time, disappeared throughout the year and a while in the summer but when she was around she was a comfort, keeping him safe. But this one one of the lonely nights she wasn't here, feeling alone and lost something slithered around him, quietly whispering illegible words. Many of the things here tried talking to him when he was young, long conversations with family and strangers, learning about their lives and pasts. However he quickly grew out of it, their voices leaving him in silence for years, that is until they came back, this time angry and full of hate. The bubbling conversations stopped and instead the touchered voices of the dead called for him to help. He felt something move behind him, a cold chill running down his spine, quickly turning he tried to look for whoever it was but they stayed hidden in the shadows. 

"Hello?" He called out, voice cracking. He could hear a faint hiss and sound of something being dragged on the floor, looking down his eyes were met with the inky black pool, a solid yet endless floor. Hearing the hiss by his ear he whipped his head around, swatting by his ear and tucking his hair behind it. He called out again, hoping something would answer him but was met with nothing. Waiting a moment longer he felt the presence fade, the warm touch of the lady with red hair patting him on the top of his head. She has a small glow, lighting up the darkness ever so slightly. Giving her a smile Ron felt a shaking, waking him up from the odd dream.

"Ron wake up!" Harry shook at him, pulling at the abnormal amount of covers until Ron was free. 

"Stop it 'Harry" Ron grabbed at a blanket, pulling it back over his head. 

"Come on Ron!" Harry exclaimed, worry and excitement in his voice. "Hermione and you were called to a prefect meeting but she told Mcgonagall you didn't feel well but that doesn't matter" he rambled, voice speeding up. "Anyways the lockdown was lifted only because they detected dark magic" Harry took a breath "she said they couldn't pinpoint exactly where it came from but it wasn't in the school however the ministry is on alert." He threw off the last blanket Ron had, bringing his back onto his bed. "You know what that means right? Voldemorts," Ron shuddered "come off it, Voldemort is making a move but this time the ministry is on to him." Harry said before sitting next to him "which come to think of it I don't know if that's a good thing" He rubbed at his chin, scratching his head before the door flung open. 

"Ron!" Hermiones voice rang through the room "you're awake!" She exclaimed running up to her still half asleep friend before hugging him. "Harry said you were sleeping so I told Mcgonagall you didn't feel well" she gave a small pause. "Classes were cancelled for the rest of the day considering it's already three in the afternoon" Hermiones face twisted at the last part, upset over missing school. 

"Already?" He yawned, feeling much more tired than before. Scratching his head, trying to make his sleep deprived brain clear up, his stomach grumbled loudly reminding him he hadn't eaten since yesterday. "I'm hungry" He stated, kicking the last bit of blanket off his feet before shoving old shoes on, grabbing into Harry And Hermione's hands, dragging them down to the Great Hall in hope of some food. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little shorter than I anticipated but I was excitedto get it out so quickly!! Dont know when the next update will be but hope to post soon  
> Comments and kudos are appriciated


	3. Chapter 3

Sitting in potions class Ron was being lulled to sleep by Snape's monotone voice. The old potions master going on about lost time and that to succeed you needed to be in class every day. Ron thought that was absolutely ridiculous after all, considering that Snape couldn't be all the successful, being miserable inside a dungeon everyday. Hearing a laugh Rin bolted up, afraid Snape heard his snarky thoughts and would give him detention. But all he earned was a concerned glance from Harry and an unimpressed look from Hermione. Setting back down he tried to focus back in Snape's voice, him giving unclear instructions on how to make a calming draught. Pairing up with Harry he made his way to the supplies closet, getting everything in his textbook and bringing them to the brewing station, where Harry was already setting out the equipment. 

"Having fun already?" Harry dropped his scaple on the floor, watchint for Snape to turn away before he quickly picked it up, not wanting to lose points for something stupid like "clumsiness" 

"Just getting started'' Ron smiled back, dropping the heap of ingredients on the table before settling to work. Watching Hermione, who was paired with Neville, they attempted to chop the lizard's toes in 3, careful to keep all pieces the same size. They continued to talk quietly, shutting up when Snape walked by but picking up the conversation when he left. Giggling over an unflattering impression of Umbridge, Harry dropped some orange flower petals into the cauldron, causing it to bubble up. 

"Uhh Ron?" Harry shoved his face in front of the pot, staring deeply into it. "I don't think-" he was cut off, smoke pulling out of the cauldron blowing the thick liquid right into his face 

"Arg!" Harry yelled out, wiping at the potion. Initially shocked, Ron started to rib Harry's face with the end of his robes, but when he noticed Harry wasn't in any pain started to laugh at his now orange, stained skin. 

"You look-" his hand covered his stomach, big smile in his face "a-" he wheezed "pumpkin!" He called out loudly, breaking into a fit of giggles. Loudly laughing Ron's face lit up, tears welling on the side of his eyes as he watched Harry scape off orange goo from his glasses. However as snape walked towards them Ron quickly shut up, face blushing a deep red. 

"Mr. Potter" Snape said flatly, clearly unamused. He opened his mouth to speak again but was interrupted by Harrys hiss of pain as he fiercely rubbed at his eyes. "10 points from Gryffindor" Snape pushed Harry towards the door, "Longbottom! Go with him. Clearly you're profiting off Miss Grangers adequate work." He finished, swiftly turning around and sitting at his desk. "Continue" his voice dragged on, making Ron wish he was the one who was covered in goo. 

Continuing partnerless Ron tried to figure out what was wrong with the potion, ready over his textbook and notes. After throwing some thyme in it he walked to the ingredients cupboard, looking for a few more herbs and dragon scales. Seeing someone wait behind him he hurried up, grabbing whatever he could off the shelf before dropping everything at his desk. The fire grew hotter as he threw scales frog toe clippings in it, unsure of what exactly he was making but really not wanting him and Harry to fail. Snape walked behind him as he wept his brow, face growing hot as the scent of his potion overwhelmed him. 

"Uhh, I think-" Ron's voice came out quiet, someone whispering in his ear. 

"Add the mistletoe, then wait exactly 13 seconds before adding the siren's hair. Only after stirring 3 times do you extinguish the fire." Ron wiped his head around, looking for whoever gave him instructions. Snape's eyes met his, staring him down as he stood clueless. Giving a small smile Ron continued his work, happy for Snape's help. Adding the ingredients carefully to follow the instructions he soon casted the fire away, watching as the now clear concoction finished boiling, shimmering with a dark purple hue. Looking back at Hermione he watched as she added her herbs, pristinely cut into small, thin lines. Ron felt smug as he put his tooks away, happy to be the first one done. He felt the gaze of the other students as Snape quickly walked up to his desk, slamming his hand down hard and staring deep into his pot, wand drawn. Ron's face went white as he realized something was wrong. 

"Mr. Weasley" Snape's face was red, lips pressed tightly. "What is" his wand hand flew gestured towards his pot. "This?" He finished slowly. 

"Ummm, my potion?" Ron questioned more than asked. 

"And you think this will calm you?" He asked quietly, face creeping towards his. 

"Uhh'' Ron looked paler then a ghost, the whole class having stopped what they were doing, eager to watch him get in trouble. "Yes?" His voice was small, eyes filled with worry. 

"WRONG" Snape screamed out, the whole class aware of his failure. However after giving everyone an evil look they suddenly we're not interested in his and Snapes conversation any longer. "I don't know how you did this and I want to never see work like this in my class room again" Snapes face was inches from his, teeth pressed together. "Is that understood?" Ron nodded his head eagerly, not wanting to get in trouble. Pleased with his answer Snape took his cauldron, dumping its contents into a jar before giving it a cleaning charm. Watching Snape take the jar back to his personal stores, he shot Hermione a look, hearing the snickers of his classmates. 

He really did mess up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AH IM SO SORRY IT TOOK LIKE 3 MONTHS FOR ME TO UPDATE!   
> This semester got me wacked out but thankfully it's almost over.   
> Lol sorry it's so short tho I wanted to get it out even if it does kinda be wacked   
> Thanks for reading!! Commets and kudos are appriciated!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Not sure when the next chapter will be up but comments are kudos are appriciated


End file.
